Losing Control:The Truth
by Turtlefan141
Summary: First book. Leo's the calm, level-headed brother out of the group. Despite all the teasing he receives from his younger brothers, he never loses his top. But all that anger has to go some where-It can't stay hidden forever. What happens when the truth is finally released? 2012 based.


"Shut it Leo!" Raph shouted as he walked into the dojo with Leo, and his other two brothers, behind him.

"Raph, you can't walk away from this." Leo stated firmly.

"I'm not, I'm walkin' away from you." Raph retaliated.

"You can't just use Mikey as your personal punching bag whenever you feel like it." Leo said.

"I can an' will." Raph protested.

Mikey tensed up at that comment. Donnie rubbed the younger turtle's shell as he continued to watch the fight.

"Violence isn't the answer to everything, you know." Leo sighed.

"Oh that's rich commin' from you, seein' as fightin' is one of the many things ya perfect at." Raph shouted.

Leo frowned. He hated it when Raph said that he was perfect. "I'm not perfect Raph."

"Oh really? I never would've known seein' as you are always the example. When we can't do somethin' right, ya come along and rub it in our faces before you do it so flippin' perfect. I'm surprised that ya head can still fit in your body from all that ego fillin' it!" Raph yelled.

That was the final straw for Leo. He had gone through fifteen years of being mocked and teased for his constant training, saying that he was the perfect brother and fearless leader. He was sick of it.

"Is that really what you think Raph, huh?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Well let me tell you something. Every time you lot have made fun of me behind my back, I've heard it. Suck up, Splinter Junior, sword boy and the grand old Lame-o-nardo. I heard each and every one of those comments, but I pushed it to the back of my mind, thinking that all of you would grow up some day. But who am I kidding, it's always going to happen, isn't it? You're always gonna make fun, say I'm perfect. Well Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, I'm not perfect, not by a long shot."

With that, Leo ran to his room. The sound of a slamming door echoed around the lair before leaving it in an uncomfortable silence. Raph, Donnie and Mikey's jaws had fallen to the point where they could go no further. Even Splinter, who had been watching from his door frame, had his mouth slightly open at his eldest son's outburst.

It was a side of Leo that no one had seen, a side that he had kept to himself.

Until now

**_~The Truth~_**

Leo didn't come down for dinner that evening. The meal was eaten in silence.

Splinter wasn't there either. He was attempting to get through to Leo, but got nowhere.

"I am afraid your brother is not coming out of his bedroom." He said as he walked down the stairs.

"Leo doesn't get bothered easily," Donnie stated, getting up from the table. "he's either really angry, really upset or really ashamed."

"Last time he was like this, he didn't come out for nearly a week." Mikey pointed out.

"Last time it was my fault too." Raph mumbled.

"What was that Raphael?" Splinter asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothin' Sensei." He sighed. "Can I 'ave a go at talkin' to im?"

Splinter raised an eyebrow. "You may try."

Raph nodded and walked up the stairs to his brother's room.

"Sensei, do you think that's wise?" Donnie questioned.

"Yeah Master Splinter, Raph's the one who made Leo mad in the first place." Mikey said.

"I believe that your brother is trying to make amends. Let us hope that he can do it well enough to bring Leonardo out of his bedroom."

**_~The Truth~_**

Raph stood at Leo's door, unsure of what to do. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Go away." Was Leo's muffled reply.

"Leo?" Raph asked.

"Raph?" Leo's voice was clearer now. "What do you want?"

Raph cringed slightly at the sarcasm dipping comment. "I just wanna talk."

"What about?" Leo questioned.

"I wanna apologise." Raph answered.

There was silence for a while. Just as Raph was about to go. He heard rustling from inside the room, and soon enough the door opened, reviling the elder turtle.

"Apologise? Doesn't sound like you." Leo stated, leaning against the door frame.

Raph took in Leo's appearance. His normally blue eyes were bloodshot and slightly red, and only now did Raph notice the bags that told him that his brother hadn't slept properly in weeks. His face was blotchy and slightly red, telling the red-clad turtle that his elder brother had most likely been crying.

"Look, I shouldn't 'ave got on ya case. I get it, you're not perfect, no one is. Especially not me, so I can't really talk. I'm really sorry Leo." Raph said.

A small smile grew on Leo's face. "That's alright Raph."

Raph however, didn't smile. Instead he wore a look of worry. "Now can I ask you something?"

"Umm...sure." Leo replied.

"What's wrong?"

Leo raised an eye ridge. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play 'at with me. Your face is blotchy, your eyes are bloodshot an' you've for more bags than a 'andbag convention. Somethin's up Leo, what is it?" Raph demanded.

Leo frowned, about to shout back at him, but sighed. "Alright, but come in, I don't want to others to be eavesdropping."

**_~The Truth~_**

Leo's room was beyond neat-it was spotless. His books sat on his bookcase in height order, his posters were at 90° angles on his wall. The few nicknacks on his shelves were placed in small groups, Japanese to the left, American to the right. His brothers thought that Leo was over-compulsive, but the eldest didn't care.

"So, what do you want to know?" Leo asked as he and Raph sat on his bed.

"I wanna kno' the reason be'ind the bags under ya eyes and the reason be'ind that shout in the dojo." Raph stated.

Leo sighed again. "I haven't been sleeping because I've been going to the dojo to train for longer."

"Why? We alrea'y 'ave five trainin' sessions a da'." The younger questioned.

"I need to be ready for anything. I'm the leader. If one of you got hurt like, really bad, I'd never forgive myself. As for the outburst, I guess that as I got more tired, my patience thinned. I was one sarcastic comment away from exploding, which unfortunately happened." He explained.

Raph looked to his brother with a pitied look. "Leo, ya don't have ta work ya-self half ta death. We'll be fine, and ya need ya sleep."

"I guess, but what if-" Leo started.

"What if Shredder or the Kraang attacked at this moment? Ya way too tired to be in a fight ta the death." Raph protested.

Leo looked to the floor. "I guess."

Raph put an arm around his elder brother's shoulders. "Tonight ya ain't gonna train, ya gonna sleep. We've finished our last session for the day, try ta relax. Play video games with Mike, or attempt ya get genius out if his lab. Heck, watch Space Heroes for all I care, but ya need to relax."

Leo smiled at his younger sibling. "Thanks Raph."

"Nothin' to it. Now, how about we go downstairs and 'ave our dinner?" Raph asked.

"Sure, I'm pretty hungry."

Just as Raph was about to open the door, he froze, then turned back go his elder brother. "There's one more thing I gotta know. That thing ya said downstairs, that we're always makin' fun of ya and callin' ya names, is that really botherin' ya?"

Leo blushed ever so slightly. "A little, I guess."

"Did ya want us ta stop?" Raph asked.

Leo smiled. "No, call me names. Just try not to make fun of me behind my back."

"No'ed." Raph replied.

They opened the door and walked down the stairs. The kitchen immediately erupted into greets and apologies. Leo smiled.

Maybe his brothers had grown up after all.


End file.
